Asbestos in Public Buildings
It has been estimated that Asbestos can be found in over 1.5 million buildings in the UK with over 500,000 of those being public buildings. Although asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999 asbestos is still present in many public buildings and can prove a serious risk to health to anyone who becomes exposed to it. Consequently the UK Government and other public authorities are under pressure from asbestos training and awareness groups such as UKATA (United Kingdom Asbestos Training Agency) to ensure better management and awareness of asbestos in public buildings to keep people safe.
In this guide we explain the dangers of asbestos, why it was used in the construction of public buildings and where it can commonly be found. As a licensed asbestos removal contractor our team at Rightway Environmental offer a range of asbestos services that can assist in keeping building users safe.
Asbestos in Public Buildings
Asbestos can cause a variety of lung and respiratory diseases such as mesothelioma and is estimated to be responsible for approximately 100 deaths a week in the UK.
Asbestos does not become hazardous unless disturbed allowing fibres to become airborne and therefore respirable.
See more: A Beginner’s Guide to Asbestos
Generally asbestos is not deemed a significant threat to the general public when present in a public building provided that it is managed and maintained in a good condition. The people most at risk are those that undertake maintenance and refurbishment works, such as builders , plumbers, electricians and carpenters. These trades need to be made aware of the presence of asbestos containing materials (ACM’s) prior to starting work to avoid accidental disturbance.
How was asbestos used?
Asbestos was used in construction during the 20th century because of its qualities of strength, fire resistance, heat resistance, insulation, soundproofing and more. The dangers of asbestos became much wider known in the 1970s but it continued to be used for decades afterwards.
Mainly due to its insulating properties asbestos was used for insulation as well as being mixed with other materials such as concrete. It can still be found in products such as textured coatings, ceiling tiles, floor tiles, roofing, boiler lagging, pipe lagging, and partition walls.
Which public buildings may contain asbestos?
Any building built prior to 2000, (before the use of asbestos was banned in the UK), may contain asbestos. Many public buildings are much older than the millennia and often have listed building status.
Public buildings include but are not limited to,
- Schools
- Libraries
- Museums
- Town halls
- Government buildings
- Hospitals
Within public and private buildings asbestos may exist in many different forms and in a variety of locations such as roofs , boiler houses, floors , ceilings and walls. As previously mentioned asbestos in public buildings doesn’t pose a threat to the general public provided it is maintained in a good condition.
Who is responsible for asbestos in public buildings?
The ‘Duty Holder’ is responsible for establishing the presence of asbestos in the building for which he/she has responsibility and subsequently for effectively managing it to prevent accidental exposure to anyone working on or in the building.
Typically a Duty Holder is someone contractually in charge of repairs and maintenance however if there is no contract or tenancy then the responsibility lies with whoever has overall control of the building such as the owner.
What happens to asbestos in public buildings?
If there is concern a public building may contains ACMs, i.e. if it was built before 2000, the Duty Holder must take control of the situation and is legally obliged to act in determining whether asbestos exists and, if it does, take action to safely manage it.
Firstly, they must assess whether there are ACMs and the risk they pose and compile an asbestos management plan if ACM’s are present. Typically most Duty Holders are not qualified to undertake asbestos building surveys as these have to be undertaken by a competent person. Duty Holders therefore usually employ the services of a specialist asbestos surveying company. Experienced and qualified surveyors inspect the building and subsequently compile a report which details if asbestos is present, its location and condition and any action required to mitigate any risk that it represents.
If the ACMS are damaged it is sometimes necessary to carry out remedial action or even removal if they are vulnerable and prone to damage. ACMs can often be repaired and sealed as opposed to having to remove them and. Any work with asbestos should only be undertaken by suitably trained and qualified persons .
Any asbestos materials in a building must be monitored on a regular basis to ensure no deterioration has taken place.
At Rightway Environmental, we regularly perform surveys and assist Duty Holders in fulfilling their obligation to comply with The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.duties in keeping people safe and staying compliant.
Find out more about what happens during an asbestos survey in the UK.
Asbestos removal in public buildings
Asbestos in Public Buildings , as with privately owned buildings, can only be worked upon or removed by suitably trained and qualified persons who , in many instances, have to be licensed by the HSE to do so.
See more: Asbestos Disposal – Tips and Advice for Disposing of Asbestos
Learn More with Rightway Environmental
At Rightway Environmental we provide a range of asbestos services from asbestos removal to surveys and training across commercial, domestic and industrial sectors.
If you require management of ACMs in your building or asbestos awareness training our expert team are on hand to help. We pride ourselves on safety, compliance and ensuring our work is undertaken professionally and in accordance with current legislation.